Five Minutes of Heaven (2009)

The story of former UVF member Alistair Little. Twenty-five years after Little killed Joe Griffen's brother, the media arrange an auspicious meeting between the two.

Director:

Oliver Hirschbiegel

Writer:

Guy Hibbert (screenplay)

Stars:

Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt, Anamaria Marinca

8 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Ryder	...	Young Alistair - 1975 (as Mark Davison)
Diarmuid Noyes	...	Andy - 1975
Niamh Cusack	...	Alistair's Mum - 1975
Mathew McElhinney	...	Stuart - 1975
Conor MacNeill	...	Dave - 1975
Paul Garrett	...	Alistair's Dad - 1975
Kevin O'Neill	...	Young Joe - 1975
Gerard Jordan	...	Jim - 1975
Paula McFetridge	...	Joe's Mum - 1975
Gerry Doherty	...	Joe's Dad - 1975
Luke O'Reilly	...	Brother Dan - 1975
Luke McEvoy	...	Brother John - 1975
Aoibheann Biddle	...	Sister 1 - 1975
Ruth Matthewson	...	Sister 2 - 1975
Carol Moore	...	Susan - 1975

Storyline

In February, 1975, in Northern Ireland, seventeen year-old UVF member Alistair Little kills the catholic Jimmy Griffin in his house in Lurgan in front of his younger brother Joe Griffin. Alistair is arrested and imprisoned for twelve years while Joe is blamed by his mother for not saving his brother. Thirty-three years later, a TV promotes the meeting of Alistair and Joe in a house in River Finn, expecting the truth and the reconciliation of the murderer and the victim who actually seeks five minutes of heaven.

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Plot Keywords:

reconciliation | vengeance | title spoken by character | cell phone | ireland | 

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Taglines:

To face the future, they must face the past.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Australia] Official site [Ireland]

Country:

UK Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 2009 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Cinco minutos de gloria

Filming Locations:

Glenarm Castle, Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,364, 21 August 2009

Gross USA:

$13,217

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Big Fish Films, Bórd Scannán na hÉireann

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White (archive footage)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt were born in the same town, Ballymena in Northern Ireland.

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Goofs

Little's photograph of Griffin's family changes between shots. In some scenes it has a border and in others it doesn't.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Young Alistair - 1975: [narrating] For me to talk about the man I have become, you need to know about the man I was. I was 14 when I joined the Tartan gangs, and I was 15 when I joined the UVF, the Ulster Volunteer Force. At that time, don't forget, there were riots on the streets every week; petrol bombs everyday, and that was just in our town. When you got home and switched on the TV, you could see what was happening in every other town as well, and it was like we were under siege. Fathers and brothers ...

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Man on a Ledge (2012)

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Soundtracks

Dynamite
Performed by Mud
Composed by Mike Chapman (as Chapman) and Nicky Chinn (as Chinn)
Courtesy of EMI Records Limited
Published by Universal Music Publishing MGB

User Reviews

Acting which goes through the canvas

James Nesbitt and Liam Neeson are making this film a great and heartfelt story of reconciliation, as well as telling about reasons for both hatred and acts of terrorism.

All this in one film is difficult enough, and this is all made in 80 minutes. Liam Neeson is of course the one getting the prizes, but actually this is Oscar-material by James Nesbitt. So strong, it actually seems impossible that he can have a life beside it all. He's done well, but is still nagged by what he saw as eleven.

The story is about an 11 year old Joe (Nesbitt) watching his brother being assassinated by a 17 year old Protestant youngster (Neeson) wanting to be a terrorist during the civil war in Norther Ireland. 35 years later it's time to settle what has ruined the lives of both of them. They are not living, but merely existing, and not a day goes without being haunted by this killing.

The film is intense, and several times you wonder where it'll end. For some the end might not be what they ask for, but I think it makes the story strong. However - it's not the end that makes this movie, it's the ideas and the acting. Also some of the filming is superb, and is recognizable also for director Oliver Hirschbiegel and his work on Der Untergang (Downfall) describing the last days of Hitler. Very impressive from the whole team!